Friday, August 31, 2012

Dearest Friday,

Dear Friday, I've been waiting for you all week and I'm so glad you're finally here. I'm so ready for my 3 day weekend and most of all Florida State Football, baby!!! (I had to go there)

Dear Football Rice Crispy Treats, I'm impressed with how well you turned out. You are cute and super delicious, I'm excited to bring you along to game day with us.

Dear Old Navy Chevron Maxi Skirt, I love you. No, really, I think I'm in love with you. There's a good chance I'm going to go back and get all of your siblings because you're so comfortable and fit so well. 

PS. If that biotch cashier who referred to me as "unique cute" is there, however, I will walk out. Hated her.

Dear Sweetest Sebby & Ella, There is no reason you need to act out an ASPCA commercial every. single. time I give each of you a bath. I even give you massages during the process, for crying out loud. Do you know how much mommy pays to get her monthly massage on? She doesn't get by on just cute looks (though I'm sure you both do think that... *hair flip*). Embrace the bath, kiddos, no one likes a stinky pup. 

Dear Kelly from Keeping Up With Kelly & Co., THANK YOU SO MUCH for the adorable elephant shirt you made for me. I need to purchase every other design you offer because they are sooo perfect. You are the best! 

Dear Readers, You guys are pretty much the greatest little angels ever, of life. I am so thankful for all of the comments, tweets, emails, etc. that you all continue to send my way and I wish I could thank each and every one of you individually in this post. You all rock my socks!

Dear Florida State Football, Kick some ARSE this weekend. Let's goooooo Noles!

Have an awesome Labor Day weekend, loves. I'm out!





Thursday, August 30, 2012

Smokey Eyeshadow (tutorial)


I feel slightly like a scam blogger today, as I'm posting this wearing zero makeup up, but... Last week I shared a natural eyeshadow tutorial with you all and it seemed to go over really well, so this week I'm going to share another makeup tutorial!

This week I'm going to show you how I do my more "going out" look! 

As always, I start with - 

Shadow: MAC - Nylon

Brush: Finger

I marked where I put Nylon with a low opacity brush in Photoshop (if you couldn't tell that was Photoshopped).

Again, this part makes a nice highlight at the corner of your eye as well as your brow bone.


The next step is also the same as last week -


Shadow: Urban Decay (Naked 1 or 2 Palette) - Half Baked

Brush: Finger

Apply to your eyelid, blending with the nylon at the corner of your eye.

Now we're going back to the Urban Decay Naked 1 palette and brush.

Shadow: Urban Decay (Naked 1) - Naked

Brush: The brush that comes in the Naked 1 palette

Take a nude shadow and "fill in" the area of your eye that we've not yet put shadow on - more specifically, the crease or the area above your eyelid and below the brow bone.


Shadow: Urban Decay (Naked 2) - Snakebite

Brush: MAC 217

Now is when you want to create the real smokey effect. Focus on the crease and blend upward - making the darkest area the crease and corner (noted by the darker opacity Paintbrush).


Shadow: Urban Decay (Naked 1) - Dark Horse

Brush: Urban Decay Naked 1 brush

Using a very dark brown you want to really accentuate the crease and corner.

*If you don't have a deep crease to your natural eye use the dark brown to make it appear you do. The glory of makeup!*


Top Eyeliner

When I'm doing eyeliner for a night out I always use a black shadow and liner brush on top of the liquid liner by tracing over the liquid line. This will help keep your upper liner from coming off. 



Bottom Liner

I use a dark shadow for bottom eyeliner because I think I looks a lot more natural than pencil or liquid. I always keep my bottom liner darker at the outer corners and blend inwards towards the light shadow (MAC - Nylon) at the inner corner. 



MAC - False Lashes Extreme Black

Add your mascara.

Voila! 

Like this tutorial? 

That's all I've got for you today, loves.
Ciao!

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

So, today I'm going to show you the sad, sad hair-do I am rocking right now thanks to our beloved website, Pinterest.

The Unicorn Braid:
Tested and failed


The pin I saw was so cute, like really, really cute. My attempt? The opposite of cute. This looks like my 3 year old niece did my hair - or maybe my 5 year old nephew. It looks nothing like the original pinner promised. 
(at least my new earrings from Jewelry Nut Auctions on FB are cute, no?)

{via}

So, I guess fine, blonde hair is not ideal for this "braid", or what? It's not even a real braid and I'm actually capable braiding! I'd be lying if I said this was the first Pinterest fail I've experienced but, come on, how easy does this chick make this hair style look?! Bah humbug. Damn you, Pinterest.

And for a good laugh, let's all look at my WORST Pinterest hair fail of all time. It's REALLY, really (really really really) bad.

THE WORST!!!!

In this particular pin I was instructed to divide my hair into multiple different braids and run a flat iron over them. Once the hair was cooled I was to take the braids out and the hair was supposed to be perfectly wavy. 

ha. haha! Good one, Pinterest. Those are some PERFECT waves if I've ever seen them. Or not. No, definitely not even close.

I wish I could find the original pin for this one to share with you all but it doesn't seem to be on any of my boards any longer. My guess is it got deleted for the massive amount of disappointment it caused. 


As frustrating as they are, I do love a good Pinterest fail. Which fails have you all experienced lately?

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Facial Euphoria For Pissy Skin

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I don't know about you ladies but this is not, and has never been, an accurate portrayal my facial cleansing regiment. I've tried this glamourous cleansing technique and, well, I will let this ecard explain the rest for me...


Today I want to give insight on one of my most overly sensitive and highly obsessive beauty regiments - my face. I'm not sure if it's just me but I'm terrified of the thought of getting wrinkles and watching my skin age. Everyone around me thinks I'm borderline fit for a straight jacket because I'm convinced I already have a small wrinkle on my forehead. A WRINKLE! I can't, I just can't. Early wrinkle and aging prevention has become a serious journey for me. Serious and not light on the wallet, but worth it. I think.

For years, as along as I can remember, this was my go-to face wash. This and only this...

Those were the days! $8 and my skin was soft and smooth like a baby's bootay.
Cetaphil was always fantastic for me to use because I never wore too much makeup and it was gentle enough to calm my pissy skin.

Pissy skin means skin that hates nearly every product you bring near it. I've got pissy skin like a mo fo. 


All of this began about 2 years ago, at my ripe age of 23, when I really started to look into early aging prevention and such. Much to my surprise, there are a bagillion products on the market that tell you they're going to keep the wrinkles off of your face and, of course, brighten it up like a Christmas tree. Christmas tree face? Sign this girl up!

So, I went out and dropped about $30 for the Clarisonic knock off by Olay.

I should have flushed the $30 down the toilet. It would have saved me the chemical burn that the cleanser gave me. The Olay Professional Pro X line is not meant for us ladies with pissy skin, take my word for it. In addition, if you aren't ready to drop the big bucks on a Clarisonic don't settle for this knock off, just go take your pots and pans scrubber brush and wash your face with it. Your results will be pretty similar and the pots and pans brush may feel slightly more enjoyable.

I then decided I needed to stop being a cheapskate and I did my research. I stumbled upon the Murad skin line and for $40 I came home with their Renewing Cleansing Cream.

I loved this stuff. The smell was great, it felt nice when I'd wash my face with it and I loved how my skin felt after I used it. And then 4 days later my face felt like sandpaper and I had raw spots all over it. Yep... another chemical burn. Awesome. Another $40 I should have put down the garbage disposal.

At this point, I pretty much gave up thinking that I had any hope for fighting wrinkles. I was screwed because my pissy skin hated me and every product out there that wants to help it. That's when I took about 6 months off and went back to Cetephil, which certainly didn't fight off signs of aging and I'm still convinced my little wrinkle came during those 6 months. 

That's when I decided to go out and finally give in to the Clarisonic Mia 2, which you can read more about here, if you didn't see that post. (hint: I'm overly obsessed and in love)

I've been using the Simple "moisturizing facial wash" with my Mia for the most part.

Does it burn my skin? Nope, it's kind to it, just as it states. Does it smell good? Nope, not a scent in the entire bottle. Don't let this product deceive you though... "Moisturizing" is a false word to describe this product. Not to say I don't continue to use it, because that would be a lie, but I always need a ton of moisturizer afterwards because it dries me out like crazy. 

The moisturizer I use is currently my most favorite facial product.

I swear by Say Yes to Cucumbers daily calming moisturizer and I'm thinking I want to try some of their other products out. More specifically Say Yes to Blueberries, which is their anti-aging line.

All of the products seem to be gentle and less invasive than the ones I tried a year ago that caused those fantastic chemical burns, but I'm still nervous. They're not the cheapest products on the market but they're available at drug stores which is nice, for convenience purposes. I'll have to report back on this product once I've tested it. Wish my pissy skin luck! 

Do any of you ladies deal with pissy skin? What products have you found that don't cause chemical burns? I'd love to hear! 




Monday, August 27, 2012

I Wore Goggles to Work.

Ok, so I didn't really... but I considered it.

This is what it currently looks like here in the "sunshine state". No sun in sight. Like, zero.

I want nothing more than to be in my bed right now, snuggling with these two little muffins...

Both were less than thrilled when I nudged their little butts into the grass this morning to "potty".
Sorry, bugs.

As I mentioned on Friday, I had no big plans over the weekend. Soooo, I really don't have much else to report on today. Exciting, huh?

Yesterday I got to experience the best form of birth control. My niece's 2nd birthday. I was around 4 children ranging from 2 to 7 years old for about an hour and a half. It. Was. TERRIFYING. Props to you mamas out there. That shiz gave me enough anxiety to need multiple double mimosas.

I did, however, use the occasion to test out a new shade of lipstick I hadn't yet been brave enough to sport.


How do we feel about bright fuchsia lipz, ladies? 
I think I likey.

Here's le mama and myself from yesterday. Don't we look like we're having a blast? ha.no.

Alright. I really have nothing much more to say. 
I'll see you tomorrow!

Friday, August 24, 2012

Friendtervention.

It's Friday and I'm extraordinarily happy about this today. This week has draaaaagged, am I right? No big weekend plans for this girl but I'm not complaining, I'm hoping to get some productive things done around the house... stay tuned on that one.

Usually I spend my Friday's here writing letters and linking up, you know, doing the new blogger thing - getting my name out there... but today that's not going to be the case. Today I'm going to layout a little diddy on friendship. Somewhat a "follow up" post to Kristen's post from earlier this week.


In my eyes, friendship is a two-way street. Both sides should give and both sides should put in equal efforts. I'm putting emphasis on the word "should" because it seems that those things are easily forgotten these days.

They say, "you get what you give". 
Well, I think that's bullshit, quite honestly. There have been multiple times in my life where I've given nothing but sincere friendship and support and have gotten nothing but the shit end of the stick back. Not just me, I've seen it happen to some of my friends, as well. Most recently though, it's been me.

If someone has been there for you through your worst, you need to be there for them. Period, end. That's being a true friend. How hard is it to be there?! I'm talking emotionally and physically. It's not too much to ask if the other person has been, and is always, there. Not to mention, isn't that the base of all relationships?

Friendship is an equal road and I think that's something that gets forgotten a lot. In my honest opinion, people get lazy. Don't get lazy on the people who matter the most. Sometimes we all need to pick up the phone instead of texting. We need to get off our lazy butts and extend ourselves. If there's something that really, truly means something to your friend, whether you think it's significant or not, support it! Really though it isn't that hard. Yes, you may actually have to get off of your ass and do something that isn't on the top of your list of things to do, but guess what? That gesture could mean a lot to that friend who has always been there for you.

Relationships don't grow from selfishness. They just don't. Sometimes you actually have to put others first, people. I know, so crazy, right? Not to sound all mom jeans on you guys but, seriously, put yourself in the other person's shoes. If it would hurt your feelings, chances are it will hurt the other person's feelings. If you expect someone else to live up to certain expectations in a friendship, you need to practice what you preach. 

Obviously, I'm preaching my ass off today for a reason. Yes, I'm hurt from a situation that deals with what this post is formed around and yes, a long term friendship was terminated because of it. Mostly, I just want to remind us all that sometimes we have to put others before ourselves. Not always but sometimes. I just think it's important to remember that the people we're lucky enough to call "friends" help us be who we are in this life and we need to be there for them.

Be there!

If you haven't reached your hand out to your friends lately, go ahead and let them know you care today. I promise, even the smallest gestures can mean the world. 

With that I'm off to count down to 4 o'clock happy hour. Happy Friday, loves.

Thursday, August 23, 2012

Every Day Eyeshadow (tutorial)


One of my favorite bloggy homegurlz, Kate, requested an eyeshadow tutorial from me and when a homegirl asks for something your girl delivers! Today, I'm going to show you all my every day eyeshadow how-to. Not to say I wear eyeshadow (or any other makeup) every day, or even every other day, but when I am going au natural with makeup - this is what I do.


Prime your eyelids with whatever primer you prefer. I use foundation, most of the time, for my natural shadow.


Shadow: MAC - Nylon

Take a beige/nude shadow, I use MAC's Nylon, and highlight your brow bone, insides of your eye lid and under the corner of your eye.

Brush: For this I use my finger. 
I only recommend this when you're doing your own makeup... don't go sticking your dirty fingers on your friend's bare skin.



Shadow: Urban Decay (Naked 2) - Half Baked

Brush: Finger

Using a bronze shadow and my finger, I cover my eyelid and move slowly up towards the brow bone - under the highlighted shadow I previously applied.



Shadow: Urban Decay (Naked 2) - Snakebite

Brush: MAC 217

Blend a dark brown shadow from the outer corner of your eyelid into the crease of the eyelid - slowly moving up to contour the crease. Nothing too drastic, this is supposed to be a natural look.

I like to go a little darker on the outer corner for shape.


As for the shadow, that's it. 



Now I line the top of my eyelids with L'Oreal's liquid liner... I slightly wing the outsides, but that's personal preference.




The finishing touch on this look is MAC's False Lashes Extreme.


And viola! This is a very simple look that really isn't very time consuming. Why don't I always wear it? Well... I'm lazy. ha. In a perfect world, I'd do this look every day.

Like this tutorial?

Depending on how this post goes, and if it's actually helpful (I have no idea if I'm good at explaining this stuff, so let me know!) I will do a similar tutorial on a more "going out" look with darker shadows and under-eye liner.

Here is the post where I talk about the different makeup I use, if you missed it.

Happy almost Friday, loves!

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